Good morning and Happy Friday! This is Betty Lin-Fisher with Friday's consumer-focused The Daily Money.

The first snow has fallen here in Ohio and shoppers nationwide are either in full swing, prepping or done with their holiday shopping.

The National Retail Federation has forecast that shoppers will spend between $979.5 billion to $989 billion in November and December.

With all that spending, though, comes opportunities for scammers. Unfortunately, billions are also lost by consumers each year to fraud.

I've put together some tips to help you protect yourself from scams this holiday season.

Teen shoppers are worried about rising prices

Inflation isn't just on the minds of adults. Teens are citing rising costs as a concern as they do their holiday shopping, according to a new survey.

Junior Achievement's annual JA Teens & Holiday Spending survey reveals that more than two thirds of teens or 70% are concerned about the impact of inflation on this year’s holiday shopping season.

Teens and especially college students have to stretch their holiday budgets to to afford more expensive everyday items as well as gifts, Samhith Padala, a college freshman at University of California, Berkeley, told me.

📰 Consumer stories you shouldn't miss 📰

• Why are shoppers drawn to mini products?
• Undiagnosed cognitive decline in seniors can eat up retirement savings, the Wall Street Journal reports.
• Amazon's Black Friday sales are now live.
• Need some turkey-cooking advice? The Butterball Hotline is open.
• Where's the safest place to put your passport when traveling?

📰 Coming Sunday: What do you do when someone owes you money? 📰

Money and friendships or money and family can get sticky when they mix. Especially when you're owed money and the person isn't paying you back. In my next installment of Uncomfortable Conversations About Money, I'll tackle that awkward scenario. Check out the story and video here on Sunday.

Do either of these upcoming topics resonate with you and if so, do you want to share your story? Or do you have a topic you'd like to suggest?

• Did you get a holiday gift from someone and you didn't have anything to give in return? What should you do?
• Is the ex of your partner or spouse asking for money and it's causing strife in your relationship?

Contact me at [email protected] with "Uncomfortable Conversations" in the subject line. I'd love to hear from you!

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.